Booked in POCSO case, Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati says won't resist arrest
Varanasi (PTI): Days after he was booked for alleged sexual abuse of two persons, Swami Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati on Monday said he will not oppose his arrest and asserted that the "fabricated story" will be exposed sooner or later.
Speaking to reporters, Saraswati said there are three courts -- the first is the public, which is following all the developments and will deliver its verdict; the second is his own conscience; and the third is the Supreme Court, which knows who is right and who is wrong.
"I have received clean chits from all three," he claimed.
An FIR was lodged in Prayagraj against Saraswati and his disciple Mukundanand Brahmachari on Saturday on charges of sexually abusing two persons, including a minor, over the past year at a gurukul and religious congregations, including the recently concluded Magh Mela.
The FIR was registered under the relevant sections of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita following an order of a special court.
Saraswati said the truth will eventually come to light and the "fabricated story" will be exposed sooner or later.
He claimed that he remained in the fair area in full view of CCTV cameras and the media during the Magh Mela.
Responding to the allegations linked to his gurukul, he claimed that the boys in question never studied there nor did they take admission, and that their marksheets indicated they were students of a school in Hardoi.
He also dismissed claims about an alleged CD, asking why it has not been made public if it exists.
According to the FIR, the accused, posing as religious preceptors, allegedly subjected the minor and another youth to repeated sexual assault on multiple occasions over the past year.
It also alleged that the acts were carried out under the guise of guru seva and by misusing religious authority.
Saraswati hit the headlines recently for his confrontation with the organisers of the Magh Mela. He accused them of preventing him from taking a bath on Mauni Amavasya.
Meanwhile, Uttar Pradesh Congress president Ajay Rai has written a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi demanding that an independent, impartial and transparent investigation into the case against Saraswati.
This is essential to protect the constitutional dignity of religious autonomy, Rai said in his letter.
He said Saraswati had previously publicly questioned the Uttar Pradesh government's administrative system in connection with the stampede at the Maha Kumbh.
Subsequently, incidents such as his being prevented from bathing at the Magh Mela and alleged mistreatment of his disciples came to light, drawing widespread criticism. Criticism cannot be suppressed by punitive power, the Congress leader said.
In light of the above constitutional principles, it is essential that the investigation is impartial, independent and completely free from political influence, Rai said.
This issue is not just about one individual, but is related to faith, constitutional rights and impartiality of governance, he said.
The people of the country want confidence that the rule of law is supreme in India and that abuse of any kind will not be protected, he said.
VIDEO | Varanasi: UP Police has filed a POCSO FIR against Swami Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati. Responding to the matter he said, “We had no prior information, and we had also told you people this earlier. Now the point is that this is a false case. What will they say? They will… pic.twitter.com/pruF4UaES3
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Rupee falls 28 paise to 94.77 against US dollar in early trade
Mumbai (PTI): The rupee depreciated 28 paise to 94.77 against the US dollar in early trade on Thursday as market sentiment took a dramatic turn after reports emerged that the US and Iran are discussing a 14-point Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) aimed at reducing tensions and reopening negotiations.
Forex traders said Brent oil prices, which had fallen to USD 98 on the US-Iran peace deal, edged slightly higher to USD 101 per barrel after investors weighed the prospects for a Middle East peace deal.
Moreover, factors such as unabated foreign capital outflows amid rising geopolitical uncertainties further dented investor sentiment.
At the interbank foreign exchange market, the rupee opened at 94.77 against the US dollar, registering a fall of 28 paise over its previous close.
On Wednesday, the rupee appreciated 69 paise to close at 94.49 against the US dollar.
"Markets are currently focused on the critical 48-hour window during which the US expects Tehran’s formal response through Pakistani mediators," said CR Forex Advisors MD Amit Pabari.
US President Donald Trump on Wednesday threatened Iran with more bombing if it doesn't reopen the Strait of Hormuz, amid a report that the warring sides were nearing an agreement to end the war.
US media outlet Axios reported, quoting US officials and two other sources, that the US and Iran were getting close to a one-page memorandum of understanding to end the war and set a framework for more detailed nuclear negotiations.
The US expects Iranian responses on several key points over the next 48 hours, Axios reported, adding that nothing has been agreed yet. This was the closest the parties had been to an agreement since the war began.
Meanwhile, the dollar index, which gauges the greenback's strength against a basket of six currencies, was trading at 98.01, down 0.01 per cent.
Brent crude, the global oil benchmark, was trading higher by 0.65 per cent at USD 101.83 per barrel in futures trade.
On the domestic equity market front, the 30-share benchmark index Sensex declined 160.24 points to 77,798.28 in early trade, while the Nifty was down 30.25 points to 24,300.70.
Foreign Institutional Investors offloaded equities worth Rs 5,834.90 crore on Wednesday, according to exchange data.
On the domestic macroeconomic front, the country's goods and services exports rose 4.6 per cent to an all-time high of USD 863.11 billion during 2025-26, up from USD 825.26 billion in 2024-25, despite global economic uncertainties, according to revised commerce ministry data.
Merchandise exports grew 0.93 per cent to USD 441.78 billion in the last fiscal year from USD 437.70 billion in 2024-25, the data showed.
